Schools budget proposal
scaled back $15 million

The DOE's supplemental budget request
goes to the governor today

By Debra Barayuga
Star-Bulletin

KAILUA-KONA -- A leaner version of the Department of Education's supplemental budget request goes to the governor today -- $15.2 million less than initially requested.

The department and board's budget committee whittled the $58.3 million request that superintendent Herman Aizawa sought earlier this month to $43.1 million.

The governor already has approved the department's $709 million operating budget for the 1998-99 fiscal year.

"We find this an education budget that will help us get our priorities done and one that we'll be able to defend," said Stan Seki, deputy superintendent.

Among the items cut were:

$3.5 million for incentives to attract new teachers and retain certificated special education teachers.

$1.4 million to create and manage an electronic system to track children with special needs and personnel recruitment -- part of the department's efforts to comply with the Felix consent decree.

Half of the additional clerical and security guard positions requested. The department originally asked for 97 clerical workers, and the request is being cut to 48. The department originally asked for 47 more security guards, and the request is being cut to 23.

Winston Sakurai, chairman of the board's budget and accountability committee, said the department decided to defer the request for the other half of the positions until the next biennium.

"I think we have done our part to see where we can defer until next year with the least impact on students," he said.

Forty-eight of the 102 positions requested for staffing and support resources for early intervention and prevention programs.

Thirty-three of the 50 positions requested for resource teachers who coordinate child, family and service providers. Only 17 positions were retained.

$3.4 million of $15.7 million requested for instructional equipment at new schools.

In addition ;to the $43.1 million the department wanted, the governor asked for $2.6 million to be added to the deaprtment's supplemental request. Of that, $2.1 million would be used to train special eucation tears and speach pathologists and $500,000 would be used to relocate DOE to the state office building in Kapolei.

All 11 voting members of the the Board of Education who attended the Hawaii District meeting at Kealakehe High School last night approved the amended request.

The board will begin meeting in November to begin reviewing other DOE programs to determine their impact and establish priorities.

---

Education budget request

Here are key items cut from the Department of Education's supplemental budget request:

Incentives: $3.5 million for incentives to hire and retain teachers.

Special needs: $1.4 million for a system to track children with special needs.

Guards: Half of the new clerks and security guards previously requested.

Prevention: Half the positions requested for early intervention and prevention programs.

Coordinate: Two-thirds of the new resource teachers who would coordinate child, family and service providers.

Equipment: $3.4 million of $15.7 million for instructional equipment at new schools.